Garment hanger and cover therefor



Jan. 14, 1964 F. o. KESTNER 3,117,706

' GARMENT HANGER AND COVER THEREFOR Filed July 7, 1961 .NIIHIWHH F 5 INVENTOR.

FRED O. KESTNER ATT'Ye.

United dtates This invention relates to an improved garment hanger and a cover adapted to be associated with this hanger. The invention relates more particularly to a coat hanger or the like which is provided with a cover which is adapted to be easily assembled onto the coat hanger and which lends a shape to the coat hanger corresponding to the shape of the garment to be placed thereon.

It is well known that garments placed on conventional coat hangers, particularly the widely used wire type hanger, quickly lose their pressed appearance. There is a natural tendency for such garments to sag about the shoulders and an unattractive impression of the thin wire arms on the hanger often remains in the garment if it is allowed to hang for an extended period.

To overcome the above disadvantages, it has been common practice to construct garment hangers from wood or other materials and to enlarge or contour the supportin" portions or" the hanger. This practice has proven unsatisfactory, particularly with regard to cleaning establishments and other users of large numbers of hangers because of the cost of these hangers.

Many of these large users of hangers have employed Wire hangers but have resorted to stuihng the region around the shoulders of jackets and the like which are placed on the metal hangers in order .to avoid unsightly impressions and wrinkles. This procedure is obviously time consuming and uneconomical. A more satisfactory approach was believed to lie in the use of covers for the metal hangers, for example, covers of flexible material which could be formed to provide a more appropriately contoured hanger. This approach failed to be acceptable to tradesmen, since the covers devised were awkward to apply to the hanger and did not provide a consistent contour with regard to the garments placed thereon.

t is an object of this invention to provide garment hangers which may be economically employed by even the largest users thereof and which will eliminate unsightly impressions and wrinkles in garments placed thereon.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a hanger and cover assembly which includes a wire type hanger and a cover disposed thereon in a manner such that garments placed on the assembly will retain a tailored and pressed appearance.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a flexible cover for conventional wire type hangers or the like which is easily applied to the hanger, is provided with means for migning the cover, whereby a consistent contour is provided for all garments placed thereon, and is also provided with means for fixedly securing the cover to the hanger.

These and other objects of this invention will appear hereinafter and for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, specific embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- FIGURE 1 is a perspective rear view of the hanger combination of this invention characterized by the unique cover member of this invention;

atent O Patented Jan. 14, 19%4 FIGURE 2 is a perspective front view of the hanger assembly shown in FIGURE 1;

FlGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken about the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a bottom view of the hanger assembly of this invention; and

F-IGURE 5 is a top plan view of the improved cover blank adapted to be assembled with a garment hanger.

The present invention may be best described as a hanger assembly having included therein a unique blank which adapts the hanger for the hanging of clothes without the formation of impressions on the shoulder thereof and without loss of the press in the clothes. The cover comprises a main body portion having wings attached thereto which are adapted to bend over and face the main body portion. The wings have flap portions thereon whidh are provided with means for securement to the main body portion and with means for precisely positioning the flaps on the main body portion. The wing and flap portions are dimensioned in a manner whereby securement of the flaps to the main body portion will cause the wings to bulge and provide a rounded portion corresponding to the shoulder of a garment to be placed on the hanger assembly.

A specific illustration of a cover member and hanger assembly 16 embodying the principles of this invention is shown in the drawings. The assembly lt'l comp-rises a hanger 12 which is illustrated \as a conventional wire type hanger having diverging downwardly extending support arms 14 and a centrally disposed hook means 16. Although the hanger illustrated is the conventional wire type, it will be understood that other types or" hangers are contemplated in connection with the cover member of this invention. Thus, wooden or plastic hangers having the same or similar configuration or other types cap-able of receiving the cover of this invention are intended to be included within the scope of this application.

The cover member which provides the characteristics of this invention is formed from a blank 18 or" cardboard or similar material which comprises a main body portion 2% a pair of wing portions 22 which are joined with the main body portion at 24 and a pair or" flaps 26 which are joined with the wing portions at 28. The junctures 24 and 28 are preferably perforated, scored or lined in some manner to facilitate bending of the wing and flap portions as will hereinafter be explained; The perforations, scoring, etc, also greatly increase the accuracy with which the cover can be applied to the hanger, and therefore, enable consistent reproduction of desired shoulder contours from cover to cover.

The cover blank 18 of this invention is further characterized by 'a means for securing the flaps 26 to the main body portion 26 of the cover. in addition, a means for accurately positioning the fiap portion on the main body portion is included to provide for consistent formation or" contours in all the assemblies produced. The securing means preferably amounts to the application of a pressuresensi-tive or other suitable adhesive on at least one of the flap and main body portion surfaces which are to be joined. The adhesive, illustrated at 27 in FIGURE 5, preferably will be adapted to securely hold the flaps on the main body portion for an indefinite period. The use of a pressure-sensitive adhesive is desirable since it represents a simplified way of assembling the cover and hanger. However, other adhesives or mechanical attachments are also feasible.

The aligning means for positioning the flaps 26 with respect to the main body portion 29 comprises a V-shaped recess 31'} in the exposed edge 32, of one flap portion and a corresponding extension 34 in the exposed edge 32 of the other flap portion. It will be apparent from FIGURE 1 that in order to mate the recess 3t: and the extension 34, the exposed edges 32 of the flaps will abut along a line extending approximately vertically downward from the hook portion 16 of the hanger. Since the wings and flaps of the cover on either side of the center line are of the same dimension, this aligning arrangement assures that a consistent reproduction or" contours is achieved from cover to cover.

The main body portion 2%) of the cover will have diverging portions along the line 24- of the same general configuration as the supporting arms 14 of the hanger to be assembled therewith. The wing and fiap portions may be described as dimensioned so that bending of the wings and securing of the flaps to the main body portion will cause the wings to bulge and provide a contour correspording to the shoulder of a garment or the like to be placed thereon. More specifically, the wing and flap portions may be described with reference to the extensions 36 (FIGURE 5) of he lines 24 comprising the juncture between the main body portion and the wing portion 22. Thus, it will be seen that the extensions 36 will always form an acute angle with the exposed edges 32 of the flap. In the embodiment shown, the extensions pass between the first side of the flaps represented by the juncture 2% and the second side of the fiaps represented by the exposed edge 32 to provide a preferable contour and to enable increase of the adhesive surface area of the flaps.

A plurality of elongate slots 33 are desirably formed in the main body portion of the cover for the hanging of belts, ties or the like. The covers are also adapted for the hanging of garments with thin straps, due to the provision of upwardly extending tabs 40 which will hold the stnaps in place. The slots and tabs are adapted to be formed in the blank and opened into position by hand.

In order to achieve the results of this invention, a hanger will be placed on the blank 18 in a manner such that the neck thereof will fit into the center portion d2 of the blank. The Wings will then be opened along the lines 24 and the flaps placed in abutting relation along their edges 33 with the means 3t) and 34 interfitting. The flaps will then be pressed onto the main body portion, and as will be apparent from the above described dimensions of the wings and flaps, a pair of bulges will automatically form which will provide a rounded portion corresponding generally to the shoulder of the garment. It will be obvious that impressions and the like which are formed by the narrow arms of a hanger will be completely avoided with this arrangement. Modification of the contour achieved by the wings 22 may be accomplished by varying either the acute angle which the extensions 36 make with the sides 32 or by varying the acute angle formed between the sides 28 and 32 of the flaps. Such modifications may be desired, depending upon predominant styles or the particular application contemplated by the user.

it will be apparent that various modifications may be made in the above described hanger assembly and improved covcr therefor which provide the characteristics of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, particularly as defined in [the following claims.

I claim:

1. A cover for a garment hanger of the type having a pair of downwardly diver ing support arms and a hook means located centrally of said pair of arms, said cover comprising a flexible sheet of material having a main body portion with the upper extremities thereof having diverging lines corresponding to said diverging arms and a center portion, means formed in said cover along said lines for facilitating bending, a pair of wings extending upwardly from said main body portion and adapted to be bent along said lines, a pair of flap portions having a first side joined to said wings extending from the center portion of said main body portion to the edge of said wings and a second side disposed at an acute angle with respect to said first side extending from said center portion, means formed in said cover along the juncture of said first side and said wings for facilitating bending, means a pted to secure said flaps to said main body portion,

wings and fiaps being dimensioned such that extensions of said diverging lines will form an acute angle with sm'd second side whereby securing of said flaps flush with said main body portion and in a manner such that the said second sides thereof are in abutting relationship will cause wings to bulge and provide a rounded'portion corresponding to the shoulder of a garment.

2. A cover according to claim 1, wherein said extensions pass between the first arid second sides of said flaps.

3. A cover for a garment hanger of the type having a pair or" downwardly diverging support arms and a hook means located centrally or" said pair of arms, said cover comprising a flexible sheet of material having a main body portion with the upper extremities thereof having diverging lines corresponding to said diverging arms and a center portion, a pair of wings extending upwardly from said main body portion and adapted to be bent along said lines, a pair of flap portions joined to said wings adapted to be bent along lines joining the flap portions with said wing portions, said lines joining the flap portions with the wing portion-s extending from the center portion of said main body portion to the upper edge of said wings, means adapted to secure said flaps to said main body portion, said wings and flaps being dimensioned so that bending of said wings and flaps and securing of said flaps flush with said main body portion with the non-joined edges of said flaps in abutting relationship will cause said wings to bulge and provide a rounded portion corresponding to theshoulder of a garment.

4. A cover for a garment hanger of the type having a pair of downwardly diverging support arms and a hook means located centrally of said pair of arms, said cover comprising a flexible sheet of material having a main body portion with the upper extremities thereof having divergin lines corresponding to said diverging arms and a center portion, a pair of wings extending upwardly from said main body portion and adapted to be bent along said lines, a pair fiap portions having a first side joined to said wings extending from the center portion of said main body pontion to the edge of said wings and a second side disposed at an acute angle with respect to said first side extending from said center portion, means provided on said second sides for accurately interfitting the sides in abutting relationship, means adapted to secure said flaps to said main body portion, said wings and flaps being dimensioned such that extensions of said diverg ng lines will form an acute angle with said second side whereby securing of said flaps to said main body portion in a manner such that the said second sides thereof are in abutting relationship will cause said wings to bulge and provide a rounded portion corresponding to the shoulder of a garment.

5. A cover for a garment hanger of the type having a pair of downwardly diverging support arms and a hook means located centrally of said pair of arms, said cover comprising a flexible sheet or" material having a main body portion with the upper extremities thereof having diverging lines corresponding to said diverging arms and a center portion, a pair of wings extending upwardly from said main body portion and adapted to be bent along said lines, a pair of flap portions having a first side jointed to said Wings extending from the center portion of said main body portion to the edge of said wings and a second side disposed at an acute angle with respect to said first side extending from said center portion, means provided on s id second sides for accurately interfitting the sides in abutting relationship and means for securing said flaps to said main body portion comprising an adhesive applied to the face of at least one of the surfaces of the flaps and main body portion to be joined, said wings and flaps being dimensioned such that extensions of said diverging lines will form an acute angle with said second side whereby securing of said flaps to said main body portion in a manner such that the said second sides thereof are in abutting relationship will cause said wings to bulge and provide a rounded portion corresponding to the shoulder of a garment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 839,285 Genaci Dec. 25, 1906 2,533,864 Wordingham Dec. 12, 1950 2,873,054 Zintel Feb. 10, 1959 

1. A COVER FOR A GARMENT HANGER OF THE TYPE HAVING A PAIR OF DOWNWARDLY DIVERGING SUPPORT ARMS AND A HOOK MEANS LOCATED CENTRALLY OF SAID PAIR OF ARMS, SAID COVER COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE SHEET OF MATERIAL HAVING A MAIN BODY PORTION WITH THE UPPER EXTREMITIES THEREOF HAVING DIVERGING LINES CORRESPONDING TO SAID DIVERGING ARMS AND A CENTER PORTION, MEANS FORMED IN SAID COVER ALONG SAID LINES FOR FACILITATING BENDING, A PAIR OF WINGS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID MAIN BODY PORTION AND ADAPTED TO BE BENT ALONG SAID LINES, A PAIR OF FLAP PORTIONS HAVING A FIRST SIDE JOINED TO SAID WINGS EXTENDING FROM THE CENTER PORTION OF SAID MAIN BODY PORTION TO THE EDGE OF SAID WINGS AND A SECOND SIDE DISPOSED AT AN ACUTE ANGLE WITH RESPECT 